City Psyche Counselling and Psychotherapy in Esher

Bernadette Musker, MSc, LDPRT, UKCP, BACP, COSRT

I offer individual counselling and psychotherapy, couples counselling and psychosexual therapy at my private practice in Esher. I also offer clinical Supervision to other counsellors and psychotherapists.

I am a UKCP Registered Integrative Psychotherapist and Clinical Hypnotherapist. I am also a member of The College of Psychosexual & Relationship Therapists. I have an MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy from Middlesex University and a Clinical Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy from the Metanoia Institute. I also have a Postgrad Diploma in Psychosexual & Relationship Therapy and I am particularly interested in working with couples and/or individuals who are experiencing relationship problems. I gained my Practitioner Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy at the LCCH, Imperial College, London.

As an Integrative Practitioner I work in a relational way and use the style of therapy I feel is best suited to my clients and their particular needs. This means I aim to offer the most appropriate therapy for the individual rather than a particular style of therapy which is not always suitable for each individual client and their unique personal circumstances. I am also trained in the use of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) which can be particularly beneficial when working with the effects of trauma.

My previous background has been working in Financial Services in the City of London, which gives me a unique insight into the effect of stress on people's lives. I have had specialist bereavement training and in addition to my private practice in Esher I work as an Occupational Health Counsellor in a Public Sector Organisation and am responsible for all Psychological Services provided within the OH Dept. I have a great deal of experience of working with Trauma and I undertake continuous professional development to ensure I keep apace with new developments within the field and work to a professional code of ethics. I am particularly interested in motivating others to reach their true potential, restoring their self confidence, building their personal belief systems and working with stress related issues. I aim to motivate my clients to achieve their own personal goals and believe in the innate power of each individual and work together with my clients to unlock their inner potential and empower them to create their own future.

How I work and my Relational Model

My model for practising psychotherapy is both developmental and relational. Theories with a key emphasis on the responsiveness and attunement of the child’s primary care givers, together with the environmental impact on the developing self, form the foundations of my way of working. As an integrative practitioner, my relational model of working is constructed from key ideas which are central to my values and beliefs.

From birth and throughout our early years, the quality of care received from our primary caregivers will have a direct bearing on the quality of our mental health and our emotional resilience. The quality of our early relationships teach us how to be in the world and strongly impact our relationships with others and our ourselves and can have a positive or negative impact on our sense of self. Our ability to deal with stress or trauma in later life will be strongly influenced by the security of our early attachment relationships. These early relationships help us construct our internal self structures and strongly impact our ability to regulate our emotional stability and resilience and help us deal effectively with adversity.

These foundations underpin the therapeutic relationship too, as just as relationships have derailed the emerging sense of self, so too can they help to heal and repair the injured self through the attunement and responsive of the therapist. I help you understand your own personal journey and how your experiences in life and relationships shape your perceptions and self beliefs. It is possible to recondition your inner dialogue to enable a stronger sense of self, improve your self confidence and help you realise your goals and achieve your full potential.

Therapy provides you with a useful narrative of your own personal history and helps you to put the pieces in place, rather like a jigsaw puzzle. With a coherent narrative you can understand your past experiences which enables you to move forward, realise your potential and make positive changes in your life.

What to Expect

When you first contact me we can discuss briefly what you would like to work on. You do not need to be referred by your GP, simply telephone or email me to arrange an initial meeting so we can discuss your needs. An assessment session will be arranged and this will be charged at the normal sessional rate, see Fees Page for more information.

Our initial meeting will help us determine whether we wish to work together and what you would like to focus on in our work together. During our meeting we can discuss your expectations and any concerns or questions you might have, however, there is no obligation for you to continue with the therapy thereafter. This is an opportunity for us to experience what it might be like to work together. If you do decide to proceed we can arrange a mutually convenient time to meet on a regular basis. This is usually the same day and time every week and this time slot will be reserved especially for you, so if you are unable to keep your appointment a cancellation charge may apply.

During our sessions you will be able to explore any emotional difficulties and to gain better self-awareness, enabling you to bring about positive changes in your life and your behaviour and help you to attain your goals. Confidentiality will be maintained at all times, however, there are limits to confidentiality should I consider you are a risk to yourself or others. As a professional therapist I have regular clinical supervision which helps to ensure I am practising in a safe and ethical way and to ensure the best therapy outcomes for my clients.